Hunting knife



y 1945- J. B. F. CHAMPLIN ETAL 2,375,751

HUNTING KNIFE Filed June 15, 1943 1 J'NVENTORS- kiln. .B.F.'C/uu BY fiooreliB in. /7:

, vide a knife wherein may be inserted in the Patented May 15, 1945-Little Valley, i N.

Y., sassignors to Cattaraugus Cutlery Company, Little Valley, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application June 15, 1943, ser a No. 490,90c

soiaims. ,(oi..279 95) This invention relates to animproved huntingknife and more particularly to a novel h andle therefor.

,; Heretofore, hunting knives in large majority have been provided withlaminated handles primarily because of the difficulty experienced insolidly securing acne-piece hand grip on the tang of the blade.

ticularly showing the tang, anchoring plate, key

and butt plate in proper relative position but disassembled.

In carrying the invention into effect, we employ a blade Ill from whichextends a tang I I V preferably rectangular in cross section. For themajor portion of its length, the tang is medially It is therefore anobi'ectof the present invention to provide 'a hunting knife wherein thehand grip may be moulded, as of'plastic or other suitable materialcapable of being-fashioned "in a single piece, "and wherein *thehandgripwill he solidly andsecurly locked on the tang qof. the blade.

I A further object of the invention is to provide a hunting knife havingahandle embodying an anchoring plate internally or thehand grip'forsecuring the handgrip imfixed positionion the tang so that the grip willbe prevented from shifting either forwardly or rearwardly.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- ,the anchoring platefor the hand grip will be locked in pla'ce by a "key coactin'g with thetank tion.

Another object of .the invention, in this connec- -tion,is top'rovide aknife wherein any rearward end thrust on the hand grip of the handlewill ,be communicated to the anchoring plate and'through the key to thetank so that the hand grip, when the 'knife is in use, will "besustained by thetang itself. e

A further object of the invention is to provide a knife wherein thekey'wil'l he so shaped that it handle to lock the "anchoring plate inplace, but wherein the key will I be also fashioned tocoact with thetang for limiting the key against expulsion. e And the invention'seeksgas a still further object, to provide a knife wherein thefreeendsof the "portions of the tang engaging the key will be covered by a buttplate secured to the. anchoriu'g plate for the hand grip.

other and incidental objects :of the invention will appear as thedescription thereof proceeds, and in thedrawing: 4 Figure 1 is a viewof, ourimproved knife showing the "blade in side elevation and thehandle in vertical section. I I v Figure 2 is a view showing ,theW-bladein top plan and the handle in horizontal section.

I ligure 3 .is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig ure 1. I

tobind said plate in posiany rearwardpull on slot is widenedverticallyto spaces l9gradua11y increasingin depth toward slotted fromthe rear end thereof, at a right angle to, its width, to provide prongsI2free at their outer ends, and these prongs are resilient.

At the forward ends of the prongs lies a stop shoulder I Stherebetween.I

Near their outer end portions, the prongs I2 are cut awa at their innerconfronting edges to provide a wedge-shaped socket I4 terminating inmore or less, vertical shoulders I5 on the prongs at the outer'end ofthe socket or, mother words; the wide end thereof.

' Slipped over the tang u to albut the heel of the blade I!) is a guardplate It, and also slipped over the tang to abut said plateisa' handgrip I1 I of a length to terminate flush with the tang. Axi'ally, thegrip I1 is ,cored out to provide a slot I8 which snugly fits the tangatitsforward end portion while at therear end portion of said slot,

from the zone of the shoulder 13 rearwardly, the

the free ends of the prongs I2. The hand grip is preferably unitary andmaybe of plastic or other suitable material capable of beingpro-fashioned.

Also, as

will be understood, thejhand gripirnay be of any chosen externalcontour.

- grip II isa fiat, resilient,

plate 22 which is inserted between the prongs l2 and is snuglyreceived-therebe- Figure 4 is a'iragmentaryperspectlve view par- Formedin the hand grip I! at a right angle to the slot I8 is, as best seen inFigure 2 of the,

drawing, a medial, rectangular intersecting re cess 20 provided at itsforward end portion with converging shoulders 2i. As will be observed,

these shoulders extend from the zone of the shoulder I3 of the tang I lto merge at their forward ends into the vertical walls ofthe slot I8.

Shaped to snugly fit the recess 20 ofthe hand of (the tang II tween. IAs best seen inFigure 4 ofthe drawing, this .jplate is V-shaped at itsforward end. and

formed in the forward endportion of theplateis a medial slot 23 defininglike wedgeashaped terminals which snugly straddle the tang Ill for:wardly of the shoulder I3 thereof; As will be noted, the terminals 24 ofthe plate 22 are provided with :outer, rearwardly diverging shoulders 25which fit the converging shoulders 2| .Oftlle recess 20 of thehand gripI"! to coact with the provide clearance I rectangular anchoring lattershoulders while the slot 23 terminates in a shoulder 26 to abut theshoulder l3 of the tang H,the shoulder 26 lying substantially in a planewith the rear ends of the shoulders 25.

Formed in the plate 22 at'its rear end portion is a medial slot 2'!somewhat longer than the slot 23 of said plate and defining likeparallel tines 28. When theplate is in position, these tines, as bestseen in Figure 2 of the drawing, project slightly beyond the rear endsof the prongs l2 of the tang H.

Formed to fit in the socket M between the prongs I?! of the tang II is akey 29 having a wedge-shaped head 30 from which extends a medial,rectangular stem 3| snugly received-between the free ends of the prongsto terminate flush therewith. At the base of the stem are provided moreor less vertical shoulders 32.

After the hand grip I! and anchoring plate 22 have been assembled uponthe tang II, the key 29 is then inserted in the slot 21 of, the plate22, which slot is of a length to receive the key, and forced between thefree ends of the prongs 12 until the head 30 of the key drops into thesocket 14, when the shoulders 32 of the head 30 will engage behind theshoulders l5 of said prongs for locking the parts in place. Theforegoing operation of the installation of the key explains the reasonfor theclearance spaces 19 in theslot l8 of the hand grip. As will beperceived, as the head 30 of the key rides between the free ends of theprongs, the prongs will be forced apart against the resilient actionthereof and, therefore, the spaces l9 are of a depth to accommodate thespreading movement of the prongs as the'key is inserted. If so desired,the spaces l9 may be later blocked by suitable wedges, not shown, or sayappropriate cement or other like approved filler. The detail is entirelyoptional.

- Attention is now directed to the fact that after the key 29 isinstalled, the forward end of the head 30 thereof will coact with theend wall of the slot 21 of the plate 22 for forcing the plate forwardly.Consequently, the shoulders 25 of the terminals 24 of the plate will beforced to coact with theshoulders 2! of the recess 20 of the hand'gripI! for forcing the hand grip forwardly 'into tight and permanentengagement with'the guard plate It. Either forward or rearward shiftingof the hand grip on the tang l I will thus be prevented. If so desired,the shoulders l5 of the prongs l2 of thetang may be inclined as may alsothe, shoulders 32 of the head of the key 29 so that said shoulders willcoact with each other to exert, as will be well understood, a forwardwedging-action on the key under the influence of the spring action ofthe prongs tending to assume a normal parallel position. The incline ofsaid shoulders need be so slight-that any attempt further than as seenin the drawing to show the inclination would result only inexaggeration. However, as will be perceived, a constant forward urge onthe key will result to constantly bind the parts in place and take upany-latent looseness therebetween.

electric welding metal permanently securing the plate in position. Aswill be noted, the butt plate 33 is secured to the anchoring plate 22rather than to the ends of the prongs l2 of the tang I I because, first,to allow a clamping action of the prongs on the key 29 and, second,because the prongs, being a part of the blade [0, are of high carbonsteel. 1 1

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is:

.1. A knife including a blade having a tang provided with spaced prongsfree at their outer ends, a hand grip disposed over the tank andprovided internallyuwith a recess terminating at its forward end inforwardly converging shoulders, an anchoring plate fitting in saidrecess and provided at its [forward end with rearwardly divergingshoulders coacting with said first mentioned shoulders for limiting thegrip against rearward movement, and a key disposed between the free,endsofsaid prongs to engage therewith and with said plate for lockingthe parts in position.

2. A hunting knife including a blade having a tang provided with ashoulder and spaced longitudinally extending prongs, a hand rip fittedover the tang and engaging said shoulder, an anchoring plate within thegrip and between said prongs, said plate forming an abutment engagedwith a complementary surface on the grip and limiting the grip againstrearward displacement on the tang independently of said: plate, andmeans fixed between the rear ends of the prongs and abutting an endsurfaceof the plate to form a stop looking the plate and grip againstrearward displacement on thetang.

3. A hunting knife including a blade having a tang provided with ashoulder and spaced longitudinally extending prongs, a hand grip fittedover the tang and engaging said shoulder, an anchoring plate within thegrip and between said prongs, said plate forming an abutment engagedwith a complementary surface on the grip and limiting the grip againstrearward displacement on the tang independently of said plate, meansfixed between the rear ends of the prongs and abutting an end surface ofthe plate to (form a stop looking the plate and grip against rearwarddisplacement on the tang, and complemental means carried by the prongsand said first mentioned means slidably coacting in response to theresilient action of the prongs to urge said plate forwardly and maintainthegrip in engagement with said shoulder.

4. A hunting knife including a blade having a tang provided with ashoulder and spaced longitudinally extending prongs provided at 7 theirinner edges with stop shoulders, a hand grip Shaped to conform to thecontour of the rear fitted over the tank and engaging said firstmentioned shoulder, an anchoring plate within the grip and betweensaidprongs. said plate, forming an abutment engaged with a complementarysurface on the grip and limiting the grip against rearward displacementon thetank independently of said plate, and. a'key disposed between saidprongs and having shoulders thereon engaged by the shoulders of theprongs, said key abutting an end surface of said plate to form a stoplooking the plate and gripagainst rearward displacement on the tang.

5. A hunting knife includinga blade having a tang provided withashoulder and spaced longitudinally extending prongs provided at theirinner edges. with oppositely disposed shoulders.

disposed near the rear ends of said prongs, a

hand grip fitted over the tang and engaging said between said tines andmaintained thereby befirst mentioned shoulder, an anchoring plate tweensaid prongs, said key having shoulders Within the grip and between saidprongs and thereon engaged by the shoulders of the prongs provided atits rear end with spaced tines, said and abutting an end surface of theplate between plate formingan abutment engaged with a comthe tines toform a stop locking the plate and plementary surface on the grip andlimiting the grip against rearward displacement on the tang. gri againstrearward displacement on the tang JOHN B. F. CHAMPLIN. independently ofsaid plate, and a keydisposed THEODORE H. BAN'ION.

